ELMORE COUNTY, Idaho — On Wednesday, March 22, a group of three snowmobilers were near Little Roaring River Lake in the Boise National Forest. According to Sheriff Mike Hollinshead of Elmore County, two members of the group wanted to head home, when the third decided to go up on the hill one last time. At that point, he was caught in a slide and died before the other two people could get to him.
The sheriff's office will not be releasing the name of the victim out of respect for the family. The group had avalanche gear and felt well prepared. Sheriff Hollinshead said he cannot stress enough the importance of being careful in the backcountry during avalanche season. The sheriff reached out to KTVB with his concerns.
"You have to let people know where you are going to be, and even if you have your avalanche gear, it doesn't mean that you will be able to walk away from an avalanche," Hollinshead said. "Wet weather and wet snow are a danger and can cause an avalanche."
The sheriff also said that knowing when or why an avalanche can start, is almost impossible. Further, that people can trigger avalanches remotely.
People should always check the weather conditions to get a full sense of the avalanche danger that they might encounter.
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